Bitch Media - geek girl conhttp://bitchmagazine.org/taxonomy/term/11038/0
enPopaganda Episode: Geek Girlshttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/popaganda-episode-geek-girls-podcast-doubleclicks-video-games
<p><a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/blogs/feminist-podcast" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8134/8701376773_54a627ac5f_o.jpg" alt="feminist podcasts" width="500" height="91" /></a></p>
<p>If you’ve been paying any attention to the news, you know that the last few months have been a hard time to be a geek girl. Media critics and gamers who have spoken up about sexism in the video game industry have been <a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/hate-from-sexist-gamer-bros-cant-stop-the-work-of-feminist-gamers" target="_blank">subjected to online harassment</a> that has escalated into death threats. People who care about pop culture and video games—as well as other geeky pursuits like comics and tabletop games—have devoted a ton of emotional energy to dealing with these aggressive haters. So for today’s show, we’re flipping the script. Instead of giving all this nastiness any more of our time and energy, we’re focusing on six women who are doing awesome work to make geek culture better.&nbsp;</p>
<p>We take a trip to a Magic: The Gathering tournament, get a download from <a href="http://sammusmusic.com/" target="_blank">hip-hop artist Sammus</a> about how to turning classic video game soundtracks into brand-new beats, hear game designer <a href="http://elizabethsampat.com/" target="_blank">Elizabeth Sampat</a> break down sexist myths about women in the video game industry, listen to a <a href="http://www.maximumfun.org/shows/destination-diy" target="_blank">Destination DIY</a> profile of an artist who lasercuts mobiles of internet memes, and sit down with nerd-rock sister duo <a href="http://www.thedoubleclicks.com/" target="_blank">The Doubleclicks</a>&nbsp;to talk about making bad news into heart-warming songs.</p>
<p>FULL SHOW:&nbsp;</p>
<p><iframe width="100%" height="450" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/182175352&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;visual=true"></iframe></p>
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<p>THE DOUBLECLICKS MAKE US FEEL BETTER AND SING "CLEVER GIRL"</p>
<p><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/182171903&amp;color=ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false"></iframe></p>
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<p>LEARNING TO PLAY MAGIC: THE GATHERING</p>
<p><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/182174127&amp;color=ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false"></iframe></p>
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<p>SAMMUS ON "BLACK GIRL NERD ROCK"&nbsp;</p>
<p><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/182172388&amp;color=ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false"></iframe></p>
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<p>ELIZABETH SAMPAT DISSECTS MYTHS IN THE VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY</p>
<p><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/182173540&amp;color=ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false"></iframe></p>
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<p>DESTINATION DIY MEETS A MOBILE ARTIST</p>
<p><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/119654667&amp;color=ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false"></iframe></p>
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<p>SPONSOR:</p>
<p>This episode of Popaganda is sponsored by&nbsp;<em><a href="http://bit.ly/ifonlycats" target="_blank">If Only Cats Could Talk</a></em>, an experimental film documenting the true story of two all-American cats eager to explore the world beyond domesticated life. &nbsp;</p>
<hr />
<p>THANKS:</p>
<p>Thanks to <a href="http://redcastlegames.com/" target="_blank">Red Castle Games</a> in Portland for letting us record their Magic: The Gathering tournament. Also, thanks to <a href="http://www.maximumfun.org/shows/destination-diy" target="_blank">Destination DIY</a> for generously lending us their feature on Salty and Sweet Designs. And a big shout out to <a href="http://geekgirlcon.com/" target="_blank">Geek Girl Con</a>, which was an inspiration for this show and is where Magic judge Liza Dadoly originally caught up with <a href="http://planeswalkersfordiversity.wordpress.com/lps/" target="_blank">The Lady Planeswalkers Society</a>. This show prominently features the song "Nothing to Prove" by The Doubleclicks—if you haven't already seen their video for the song, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4Rjy5yW1gQ" target="_blank">watch it now</a> and feel all warm and fuzzy.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The photo featured on the full show is of two cosplayers at the <a href="http://kinseycomic.com/" target="_blank">Kinsey House</a> table at Geek Girl Con. Photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mirkmirk/15336499150/" target="_blank">Sarah Mirk</a>, Creative Commons.&nbsp;</p>
<hr />
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http://bitchmagazine.org/post/popaganda-episode-geek-girls-podcast-doubleclicks-video-games#commentsgeek culturegeek girl conmusicthe doubleclicksvideo gamesFeminist PodcastFri, 19 Dec 2014 00:41:52 +0000Sarah Mirk29693 at http://bitchmagazine.orgThree LGBT Gamers Talk About Queering Geek Culturehttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/three-lgbt-gamers-talk-about-queering-geek-culture
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/u2583/queer_geeks.jpg" alt="queer geeks in a pride parade" width="670" height="343" /></p>
<p><em>Roll for love: Queer geeks in the 2012 Seattle pride parade. (<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/danbseattle2012/7651536444" target="_blank">Photo by Dan B</a>)</em></p>
<p>In the wake of <a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/hate-from-sexist-gamer-bros-cant-stop-the-work-of-feminist-gamers" target="_blank">Gamergate</a>, NPR’s Youth Radio correspondent Rafael Johns, a 19-year-old queer, black person, <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/ed/2014/11/19/364059586/one-gamers-take-on-gamergate">wrote about the systemic toxic everyday language used in gaming culture</a> and the particularly vicious attacks against anyone who dares to point out the ugliness of these assumed norms. Johns had felt marginalized within the larger gaming community and explains how the experience of finding like-minded gamers through social media helped changed the way he thought about the possibilities of community within the culture. He wrote:</p>
<blockquote><p>“I learned I could explore multiple subcultures that included gamers who were also queer and people of color. These were people who played video games and found the constant verbal barrage just as off-putting as I did. I was stunned to find others who believe that the world of gaming should, and can, change. There are people who want to play video games with others who look like them, and act like them, and love like them.”</p></blockquote>
<p>While geek spaces like San Diego Comic-Con International and New York Comic Con provide programming content for LGBTQ individuals (SDCCI “Gays in Comics” panel, organized and moderated by <a href="http://www.andymangels.com/gaysincomicspanels.html" target="_blank">Andy Mangels since 1988</a> is the longest-running annual panel at the con, and <a href="http://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/geek/2014/10/07/everything-lgbt-new-york-comic-con" target="_blank">NYCC had a plethora of offerings</a> at its 2014 convention) newer, smaller geek organizations are providing a more nuanced, niche, focus.</p>
<p>Just to name a few, <a href="http://bent-con.org/about/" target="_blank">BentCon</a>, one of the pre-eminent celebrations of LGBTQ geekdom, recently celebrated its fifth annual convention. QueerGeek! Seattle is a thriving community that combats homophobia, transphobia, and misogyny while promoting diversity and acceptance in geek culture. <a href="http://geeksout.org/mission" target="_blank">Geeks OUT</a> rallies and promotes the queer geek community, and is currently planning&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/geeksout/flame-con-nycs-first-lgbtq-comic-con?ref=card" target="_blank">Flame Con</a>, New York City’s first LGBTQ Comic Con. In Seattle, <a href="geekgirlcon.com" target="_blank">GeekGirlCon</a> is committed to offering programming from an intersectional feminist perspective and <a href="http://geekgirlcon.com/a-day-of-love-and-dancing-the-2014-seattle-pride-parade/" target="_blank">has participated in Seattle’s Pride Parade</a> since the organization’s inception, as well as <a href="http://geekgirlcon.com/geekgirlcon-goes-to-trans-pride-seattle/" target="_blank">Trans* Pride Seattle in 2013.</a></p>
<p>I talked to three notable LGBTQ geek activists about safer spaces, indie opportunities, and the importance of community. First <em>Bitch</em> contributor, editor emeritus of gaming blog <a href="http://borderhouseblog.com/" target="_blank">Border House</a>, and academic <a href="http://quinnae.com">Katherine Cross</a> discusses identity and representation, and recommends games consumers can support. Next, <a href="https://twitter.com/tonitonirocca">Toni Rocca</a>, president of <a href="http://gaymerx.com/" target="_blank">Gaymer X</a>, a San Francisco-based gaming convention, talks con culture, celebration, and support. Then <a href="http://northwestpress.com">Zan Christensen</a>, founder of diverse comics publisher <a href="http://northwestpress.com/" target="_blank">Northwest Press</a>, tells us how fandom and LGBT issues have merged for him, and how he in turns brings that back to the community through panel discussions and publishing opportunities.</p>
<p>Each interview illustrates the changes in geek culture Anita Sarkeesian alluded to when she <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/29/opinion/anita-sarkeesian-on-video-games-great-future.html?_r=0">recently wrote about the evolution of gamers for <em>The New York Times</em></a>, “The time for invisible boundaries that guard the “purity” of gaming as a niche subculture is over… The new reality is that video games are maturing, evolving and becoming more diverse.”</p>
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/u2583/me_at_fundraiser.jpg" alt="katherine cross" width="634" height="514" /></p>
<p><strong>KATHERINE CROSS</strong></p>
<p><em>Writer for Feministing and Bitch, PhD candidate, and former co-editor of gaming blog The Border House.</em></p>
<p><strong>How do spaces like the LGBT-friendly gaming blog Border House subvert concepts regarding a monolithic "gamer identity.” Why are calls for inclusiveness perceived as threatening?&nbsp;</strong>&nbsp;</p>
<p>There's been a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth lately over what a "gamer" actually is. Is it simply someone who plays games, or does it connote an identity as a committed gaming enthusiast who has every console, games a ton, and knows all the trivia? And what does a gamer look like? Historically, the sense has been that gamers are mostly young white, heterosexual, cis men, and that anyone not fitting those identity categories is only acceptable if they submit to games that are not made with them in mind. Border House was part of a larger wave driven by the rise of internet subcultures that provided people with communities and discourses that challenged that notion, putting people in touch with one another who liked games but were tired of harassment, or who wanted to see more diverse characters and stories, and so on.</p>
<p>Let me be clear, women, people of color, and queer gamers have <em>always </em>been a part of the gaming world at every level. What's changed is that the internet has given us a thousand ways to make our unfiltered voices heard as never before.</p>
<p>And that is, I think, why "inclusiveness" as a concept is so threatening to some white male gamers because historically their definition of "gamer" and the entitlement that goes with it is that <em>they and they alone</em> are the special, anointed class of consumers who should be catered to, listened to, and even admired. The old magazine gaming press, which was directly beholden to, or even <em>owned outright</em>&nbsp;by industry organs is no longer the epicenter of tastemaking in gaming. And for young women or poor people or folks of color who want to get into game design, they no longer have to submit to that vision, they no longer have to do the things the way they've always been done, they no longer have to whitewash characters or submit to the whims of marketers who'll only promote male lead characters.</p>
<p><strong>What interventions do you see gaymers and queer geeks making in geek culture by combining their geek and LGBTQ identities?&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>I think simply making ourselves heard and ensuring that we're recognized and accepted as gamers is important all on its own. But I also think that some incredibly queer, and especially trans women game developers have been making games that unapologetically portray things like sexuality, queer romance, or trans existence in ways that would be passively censored in mainstream game design. They are telling the untold story, much as the new wave of trans women's literature is telling stories about our lives that were unsayable in the past. Merritt Kopas' games challenge mechanical conventions (win by hugging!), Mattie Brice's <em>Mainichi</em> lent voice to her own experience as a trans woman of colour, Christine Love's games combine queerness and an unapologetic feminism for pathbreaking sci-fi, and the list goes on.</p>
<p>What they give to the world of gaming is new ways of playing, and new ways of telling stories. Bear in mind too, we're not a separate class of people bringing in this essentialised "LGBTQ experience"—we're also women, we're also people of color (I'm Puerto Rican), many of us have disabilities. There are a lot of conversations we're adding to, including feminism as a whole. Intersectionality goes both ways, as I like to say. I'm a trans woman with something to say about being a woman, et cetera.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>You've </strong><strong><a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/article/game-changer">written about being antagonized for writing about transgender life</a> in online gaming and for "bringing politics" into gaming culture</strong><strong>. Like other women using their voices in public spaces you've been subjected to threats of physical danger. But what is the danger of NOT expanding or complicating our conversations about representation? And what advice do you have for negotiating the balance between speaking up and self-care?&nbsp;</strong>&nbsp;</p>
<p>People have this deeply troubling idea that culture, or fiefdoms of culture like "art," advance on their own as if they are an organic morass of vines growing of their own volition. But culture is made up of people and of our own participation. Nothing will change if we say nothing, nothing will get better if we eschew criticism. Denying yourself subjects or stories due to half-baked prejudices stultifies art and, ultimately, those who consume it. Those of us who love video games and believe in their potential owe it to ourselves to keep improving this medium. Diversification is a means to that end: the more new mechanics we explore, the more new stories, the more new characters, the more new players we attract, the better.</p>
<p>As to negotiating the self-care balance, I wish I had an easy answer. It <em>is</em>&nbsp;important that you remember no one can take on these issues alone. So much in our culture valorizes the individual hero above all else and activists feel that pressure too, but we must bear in mind that change is a collective process. If you take care of yourself, the world won't end; that's why everyone else is involved, they pick up the slack. As a scholar and writer I feel this urge to write about every plethora of painful subjects that the news delivers to my door, or that I personally experience, but I know if I sit one out and take care of myself, someone else will say what needs to be said. Remembering that is how I force myself to take breaks. I also take solace in community, by reaching out to my networks for support and being supportive in turn; that makes all the difference for me.</p>
<p><strong>Raising cultural consciousness through critique and advocating for media literacy are but two steps to social change. Voting with your dollars is often cited as another. To that end, are there games or companies you recommend we support that are committed to LGBTQ representation?&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>Oh, so many to list. Samantha Kalman's <em>Sentris</em>, a musical puzzle game, Christine Love's "Love Conquers All" studio (gotta love the pun!), Posthuman Studios—makers of the great PnP RPG <em>Eclipse Phase</em>, Monte Cook Games' <em>The Strange </em>and <em>Numenera</em>, Harebrained Schemes <em>Shadowrun </em>games, Paizo's <em>Pathfinder RPG</em>&nbsp;has been on a roll with including trans women characters of late (good ones!), any and everything by Merritt Kopas, Red Thread Games (run by the same people who made <em>The Longest Journey</em>— they're making a sequel as speak), Apocalypse World—an impressive RPG system that's very gender inclusive, Brianna Wu's company <a href="http://www.revolution60.com" target="_blank">Giant Spacekat</a>, which just launched a new project, and of course, <a href="http://fullbright.company/gonehome/" target="_blank">The Fullbright Company and their instant classic <em>Gone Home</em></a>.</p>
<p>&nbsp;<img src="/sites/default/files/u2583/naismza.png" alt="TONI ROCCA" width="345" height="345" /></p>
<p><strong>TONI ROCCA</strong></p>
<p><em>President of queer-friendly gaming convention&nbsp;<a href="http://gaymerx.com">GaymerX</a>.</em></p>
<p><strong>Can you tell us about the origins, mission, and evolution of GaymerX? What are some of the most pressing issues in gaming culture for LGBTQ folks?</strong></p>
<p>GaymerX was originally started by Matt Conn and began as a dream of a small gay gamer get-together and exploded into something much bigger. Now it has become a large hub for the discussion of issues LGBT/Queer folks, women, and other marginalized groups have faced in the world of gaming while also being a place to celebrate our progresses and creations.</p>
<p>Most games from major <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AAA_(game_industry)" target="_blank">AAA</a> publishers do not contain much, if any, queer content or characters. In fact most adhere very strictly to being a straight, white male who seeks to rescue or in some other way conquest a desired woman. "Queer coding" is a trope where someone is made to look and/or act visibly queer in order to evoke distrust, disgust, or simply dislike for a character. While several wonderful queer indies such as Anna Anthropy, Mattie Brice, Robert Yang, Merritt Kopas, and Todd Harper have managed to make insightful games about queer experiences, the AAA scene has only managed to give us BioWare titles and a handful of gems such as <em>The Last of Us</em>. And while I'm looking to romance The Iron Bull in <a href="http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/game-features-gay-sex-trans-people-bdsm-and-already-bestseller261114" target="_blank"><em>Dragon Age: Inquisition</em></a>, because he's tall, I wish I could have some sort of excitement towards other AAA titles instead of awkward trepidation for the inevitable "this is not for you" scenes. &nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>At </strong><strong>GeekGirlCon this year,&nbsp;<a href="http://geekgirlcon.com/kicking-off-the-con-anita-sarkeesian/" target="_blank">Anita Sarkeesian talked about "safer spaces.</a>"</strong><strong>&nbsp;GaymerX was founded to be just that. What constitutes a "safe space" for queer geeks?&nbsp;</strong>&nbsp;</p>
<p>I really do love the term "safer spaces" over "safe spaces" despite it being minor semantics. I just find myself not a big fan of finality or ever deciding your work is over. Rather, I love finding ways to improve your practices and change them. I think of the con as being a living, breathing thing comprised of mainly the volunteers and attendees and I think every year it grows and becomes more beautiful.&nbsp;</p>
<p>For us a safe space is a little hazy. It's not about not saying certain words or not assuming gender, but it is to a degree. Mainly, I think the thing that makes it a safer space first and foremost is that the staff, volunteers, and attendees agree together to make the space as accommodating as possible to others and to work and change in order to meet that goal. It isn't that someone gets scolded for saying a no-no, but rather that we talk it over, learn what went wrong, and bond over that. I think that's where most of the "magic" people kept talking about came from. We treat it as a rare space that's 100 percent ours and we take care of it and each other. I think that's why we outgrew the "gaymer" label so quickly. Nobody needs to ID-check their sexuality at the door. This is a queer space and a safe space and that is what matters.</p>
<p><strong>We've seen, especially recently, how gaming culture is hostile to women. In what ways can it be unwelcoming, uninviting, or outright hostile to LGBTQ identities? How do Gaymers defy the stereotypes of the straight, white, male gamer?&nbsp;</strong>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Obviously there's nothing wrong with being straight, white, and/or male, but the idea that this is the only kind of person that does or should play games is ridiculous. However, I think that this recent backlash (GamerGate) against "the other" in gaming is just kind of the last death throes of that idea being accepted.&nbsp;</p>
<p>I am borrowing a little from the words of Colleen Macklin, a guest of honor at GX2 and a wonderful person, but I think that everyone has their own ways of queering the media that they interact with. As abstract an analogy as it is even doing speed-runs of games is a form of "queering" or changing the way a game is meant to be used.&nbsp;People of different perspectives will often want different things from their media and with games being as interactive as they are, we get to see them being used in completely new ways. That's what's really magical about this and why it's valuable to encourage everyone to play.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Do you think indie games and alternative spaces offer enough? What are ways for LGBTQ geeks to make interventions in the dominant culture? How can allies best help?&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>Well, I know there are a lot of people who feel "indie games are enough." I won't for a moment say these aren't beautiful and powerful.&nbsp; However, with the way capitalist markets work, sadly, these are not the games with million dollar marketing budgets. So, yeah maybe a AAA company won't or can't make a very good queer character, but that's not really enough. The mainstream has to start being held to these standards. Think about it. Just WHY does everyone settle for less from a multi-million dollar budget $60 title? Those queer people who can write beautiful stories are out there, and most of them can be hired.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Allies need to become aware of these things. Even if you ARE being represented&nbsp;in games, as a straight white man, then you should question that. One of the magical things about games is that it can put you in the shoes of someone else, and macho power fantasies have distracted the mainstream from exploring that. Talk to queer folk and learn how they feel, play games that DON'T represent you and see how that feels. Look things up online, learn, listen, and don't argue if you are called out on something—instead, look at it as an opportunity to learn more.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;<img src="/sites/default/files/u2583/zan_by_adrian_sotomayor.jpeg" alt="ZAN LYING on a pile of comics" width="640" height="326" /></p>
<p><strong>ZAN CHRISTENSEN</strong></p>
<p><em>Founder of <a href="http://northwestpress.com">Northwest Press</a>, comics writer, and founding president of <a href="http://prismcomics.org/" target="_blank">Prism Comics</a>, a nonprofit that promotes LGBT comics creators. (photo by Adrian Sotomayor)&nbsp;</em></p>
<p><strong>You've been active in gay geek culture and pop culture conventions for over 15 years. Can you tell us how you got involved in LGBTQ panel discussions and with Prism Comics?&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>I came to LGBT comics stuff through fandom. At first, my focus was almost exclusively superhero comics and characters, and I found a great group online called the Gay League to socialize and chat with other queer folks. LGBT folks are often the minority in general fan circles and I often felt self-conscious being "out," so I really enjoyed the freedom I felt to be myself <em>and </em>a fan at the same time. My involvement with the <a href="http://www.gayleague.com" target="_blank">Gay League</a> led to working on an annual resource guide to queer comics, <em>Out in Comics</em>, helmed by <a href="http://www.andymangels.com" target="_blank">Andy Mangels</a>. That later led me to be the founding president of <a href="http://prismcomics.org" target="_blank">Prism Comics</a>, which has been working to support LGBT comics creators for over ten years now.</p>
<p>One great thing Prism has done over the years is dramatically increase the level of programming at Comic-Cons addressing queer content and creators. I've always been a big fan of queer comics discussion panels; these are the bigger, flashier version of the conversations we have, as queer fans, all the time. They range from the seemingly silly, like discussions about costumes and "who wore it best", to the profound, like how to push queer visibility and honest storytelling up from the indies into mainstream comics.</p>
<p><strong>What led you to found Northwest Press? What kinds of conversations do you hope your titles will promote?</strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;One of the questions that Prism Comics was asked, over and over, was, "Will you publish my comic?" Prism, of course, is not a publisher but a support organization for creators—offering table space at conventions, grants, online articles and features, and the like—so I always had to turn people away, and didn't even know where to send them.&nbsp;</p>
<p>I was inspired to start a publishing company when my friend Jon Macy, who'd also volunteered with Prism for years, was unable to find a publisher for the erotic graphic novel project he'd been working on for years, <em>Teleny and Camille</em>. This is an important book that gives readers a glimpse into the Victorian world at the dawn of what would become the modern gay community, and it was unthinkable that it wouldn't be published and promoted in a meaningful way.</p>
<p>So Northwest Press came into existence so I could publish work that I wanted to read, and thought it was important for others to read. That's pretty much the only criterion I look for in submissions. Of course, what<em> </em>I want to read is what's too often missing from comics: stories where women aren't relegated to supporting the men, where complex, honest queer characters are center stage, and where we explore sexuality and gender with candor.&nbsp;</p>
<p>I find that I'm much less concerned with identity politics and representation of groups and a lot more interested in the messy complexities of individual lives. Those are the conversations that I really love, these days. Editing the anthology <a href="http://northwestpress.com/shop/anything-that-loves/" target="_blank"><em>Anything That Loves</em></a>, which was a collection of comics beyond "gay" and "straight," really solidified my desire to dig deeper and break down the barriers between us. It's politically and practically useful to have labels like "gay," "bisexual," "transgender," "man," "woman," "black," "white," but when we get down to the human level and are discovering another human being—whether through in person or through a comics story—we need to see them as more than their categories and labels. There is so much to learn from different points of view, and the comics world is denied great stories when the vast majority all come from people who look the same.</p>
<p><strong>You recently </strong><a href="http://northwestpress.com/2014/10/01/why-am-i-in-love-with-bent-con/" target="_blank"><strong>wrote a love-letter to BentCon</strong></a><strong>—a relatively new, grassroots, convention in the Los Angeles area—and said that even though over the years other events have developed a stronger LGBTQ presence, BentCon is the first space where you've felt truly able to breathe.</strong></p>
<p>My experience at Bent-Con and the queer spaces at Comic-Con are similar to what I experienced with the Gay League, years ago: losing that self-consciousness and being able to totally immerse into the fandom I love. I've been a longtime supporter not just of Bent-Con, but also GeekGirlCon because I want everyone to have their own version of that experience, to be themselves, geek out, and have a good time!</p>
<p>And we take that feeling back with us to the general-audience shows. It makes us more courageous and open, and we expect better. There's no question that conventions have made great strides in being more welcoming to all over the years, and that's because people stood up and demanded it. I think these community-focused shows have really helped speed that process up.</p>
<p><em>Related Reading: <a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/the-history-of-women-in-geek-culture-should-not-be-overlooked" target="_blank">The History of Women in Geek Culture Should Not Be Overlooked.</a>&nbsp;</em></p>
<p><em>Jennifer K. Stuller is an </em><a href="http://www.ink-stainedamazon.com/" target="_blank"><em>Ink-Stained Amazon</em></a><em>, a co-founder of&nbsp;</em><a href="http://geekgirlcon.com/" target="_blank"><em>Geek Girl Con</em></a><em>, and was sorted into House Ravenclaw. Her feature “Leveling Up: Geek Woman Are Connecting Like Never Before” can be read in </em><a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/issue/65" target="_blank">Bitch<em>’s (Re)Vision issue</em></a><em>.&nbsp;</em></p>
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http://bitchmagazine.org/post/three-lgbt-gamers-talk-about-queering-geek-culture#commentsgaminggeek culturegeek girl conSocial CommentaryWed, 10 Dec 2014 01:28:01 +0000Jennifer K. Stuller29566 at http://bitchmagazine.orgThe History of Women in Geek Culture Should Not Be Overlookedhttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/the-history-of-women-in-geek-culture-should-not-be-overlooked
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/u2583/doubleclicks_geek_girls.png" alt="a girl holding up a sign &quot;Boys tell me that I'm not a real gamer.&quot;" width="670" height="366" /><em></em></p>
<p><em>Gamer Dominique Villanueva in still from the The Doubleclick's music video<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4Rjy5yW1gQ" target="_blank"> "Nothing to Prove."</a></em>&nbsp;</p>
<p>There is a strange and pervasive cultural myth that <a href="http://theunicornfiles.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">geek girls are like unicorns</a>—we’re rare and mythical creatures who can’t possibly be real. This anxiety over gender is deeply tied to nerds’ concerns about the mainstreaming of geekdom.</p>
<p>Combative male gatekeepers to geekdom—from <a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/dont-be-a-dick-how-to-sell-comics-to-people-other-than-straight-dudes" target="_blank">comic book store employees</a> to <a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/meet-the-awesome-league-of-female-magic-the-gathering-players" target="_blank">Magic: The Gathering judges</a> to <a href="http://www.xojane.com/it-happened-to-me/marinaomi-harassed-comics-panel" target="_blank">Comic Con panelists</a> to video game developers—have a history of marginalizing, challenging, and harassing perceived interlopers. The (mostly) straight, white, male people police geek culture <a href="http://feminspire.com/idiot-nerd-girl-has-a-posse-taking-back-the-meme/" target="_blank">using concepts like “geek cred”</a> (having an impossibly detailed knowledge of a fandom’s minutia), claims that girls are <a href="http://feministing.com/2014/11/13/scrutiny-some-thoughts-about-thick-skin/?utm_content=bufferedf57&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=facebook.com&amp;utm_campaign=buffer" target="_blank">thin-skinned</a> princesses who can’t handle the culture, and implications that female nerds are either only tagging along with their boyfriends or trying to sleep their way to success. A few years ago, the idea spread that “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UohmGU-Gng" target="_blank">Fake Geek Girls</a>” are only latching on to current trends in popular culture to be seen as cool.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 120px;"><img src="/sites/default/files/u2583/geekgirl_meme.png" alt="a geeky girl says 'Hasn't read all 700 issues of batman... neither have you.&quot;" width="377" height="377" /></p>
<p style="padding-left: 120px;"><em>Geek girl meme by <a href="http://racheledidin.com/" target="_blank">Rachel Edinin</a>.&nbsp;</em></p>
<p>What’s ironic about all this is that while television, film,&nbsp;video games, the comic books industry continues to mostly cater to presumed male audiences—across media, female creators and storylines with women at their center are the exception to the rule—women make up at least half of people who spend money on geeky media and events.</p>
<p>For example, take gaming. While many video games exhibit rampant misogyny and playable main female characters are rare, an estimated <a href="http://www.theesa.com/facts/gameplayer.asp" target="_blank">48 percent of gamers are female</a>. There are <a href="http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/08/25/study-adult-women-gamers-outnumber-teenage-boys" target="_blank">significantly more adult women playing video games</a> than there are teenage boys. The videos in Felicia Day’s gamer-centric web series <em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/watchtheguild" target="_blank">The Guild</a></em> have been viewed more than 89 million times altogether. But in the mainstream cultural consciousness, video games are still seen as the domain of teen boys.</p>
<p>One place where geeky people actually turn up IRL and confound notions of what nerds look like is at conventions. This past year, website <a href="http://www.nerdist.com/2014/07/women-totally-dominated-this-years-san-diego-comic-con-international/" target="_blank">The Nerdist declared that</a> “Women Totally Dominated This Year’s San Diego Comic-Con International 2014.” Also this year, <a href="http://www.themarysue.com/emerald-city-gender-survey/" target="_blank">women were the majority</a> of attendees at Seattle's Emerald City Comicon. At least, that’s&nbsp;<a href="http://emeraldcitycomicon.tumblr.com/post/85161983740/as-you-may-remember-we-asked-emerald-city-comicon" target="_blank">according to a post-con survey</a> conducted by the con’s organizers.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><img src="/sites/default/files/u2583/graph.png" alt="a chart showing that 52 percent of emerald city comicon atendees were women" width="573" height="440" /></p>
<p>Without cataloging the preferred gender identification of every pass-buyer, and knowing that the number of respondents likely represents but a small segment of Emerald City's&nbsp;<a href="http://emeraldcitycomicon.tumblr.com/post/85726727490/i-was-just-wondering-if-you-had-the-total-number-of" target="_blank">70,000 attendees</a>, we can’t necessarily assume that there were in fact, more geek girls than fanboys at the con, only that women might be more likely to take surveys. As <a href="http://www.themarysue.com/emerald-city-gender-survey/" target="_blank">The Mary Sue</a> rightly noted, “All that this graphic <em>might </em>mean is that the&nbsp;folks who actually <em>care</em> enough about ECCC to want to help make it better were majority women.” That might be true—women certainly have more incentive to give feedback on <a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/as-anita-sarkeesian-shows-online-harassment-is-now-a-life-and-death-issue" target="_blank">how to make geek spaces more inclusive</a>.</p>
<p>All this shows that women are not only geeky—we’re invested in geekdom. It’s part of our identity and millions of women are working to make that culture better. At the fourth annual <a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/nerds-unite-at-seattles-geek-girl-con-photos" target="_blank">GeekGirlCon ’14</a> in October, over 7,000 Trekkies, Trekkers, Jedi Knights, Twi-hards, Bronies, Whovians, Browncoats, Steampunks, Sherlockians, X-Philes, Saltgunners, Scoobies, Potterheads, and even some Muggles turned out to an event that explicitly says “no ‘geek cred’ is required” to be part of the celebration, or the community. &nbsp;</p>
<p>To get another picture of the huge part women play in geekdom, look at the results of fan-ticketing service Eventbrite’s recent online survey of 2,600 convention ticket-buyers. The gender split of fans was nearly equal overall and for respondents under 30 (about 45 percent of the sample), <a href="http://blog.eventbrite.com/fan-conventions-behind-the-mask/" target="_blank">the split was exactly even at 50/50.</a></p>
<p style="padding-left: 60px;"><img src="/sites/default/files/u2583/con_chart.png" alt="a chart shows that gender for eventrbrite ticketed events is nearly equal" width="538" height="589" /></p>
<p>To that last point, generational factors seem to make a difference in who relates to the culture, and how the culture functions within communities. At <a href="http://www.dailydot.com/opinion/growing-generation-gap-changing-face-fandom/" target="_blank">The Daily Dot</a>, Gavia Baker-Whitelaw recounted her experience of two conventions this past Summer in London, England: <a href="https://nineworlds.co.uk" target="_blank">Nine Worlds</a>, a relatively new event, and <a href="http://www.worldcon.org" target="_blank">Worldcon</a>, an event in its 72nd year. According to Baker-Whitelaw, “Nine Worlds was smaller, younger, and catered to a more varied crowd including comics, TV, and fanfic followers” and that Worldcon, while a cultural institution, had a core demographic of older members who seemed out of touch with the interests and concerns of younger geek communities. She noted that while the programming organizers at Worldcon made conscientious efforts to embrace diversity, “older fans who came up through pre-Internet fandom... often considered themselves superior to the newcomers.” Nine Worlds, on the other hand, went above and beyond to make sure all attendees felt welcome and safe, distributing badges with preferred gender pronouns and making their code of conduct visible. Additionally, Nine Worlds has a robust <a href="https://nineworlds.co.uk/2014/track/geek-feminism" target="_blank">Geek Feminism track</a> that includes panels on feminist geek activism, geeky crafting as a political act, sex work in the works of Joss Whedon, and ways to get more women into creative industry job positions.</p>
<p>Newer cons ensure continued success by embracing a wide array of geekery and fandoms that to cater to emerging, youthful, geek audiences <a href="http://boingboing.net/2014/10/21/geek-girl-con-is-an-oasis-of-a.html" target="_blank">through mission-based tone, mood, and environment.</a></p>
<p><a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/geek-culture-a-new-hope" target="_blank">As geek culture evolves</a>, and women become more visible members of the community, it’s tempting to assume that geek girls’ surging numbers are simply the result of the mainstreaming of geekdom. But fangirls have been around just as long as fanboys, playing Pac-Man, <a href="http://fanlore.org/wiki/Skywalker_(zine)" target="_blank">contributing to and editing fan magazines</a>, <a href="http://www.smartpopbooks.com/book/fic" target="_blank">writing fan fiction</a>, <a href="http://fanlore.org/wiki/Luminosity">vidding</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDj5wRbgf8A" target="_blank">cosplaying</a>.</p>
<p>Long before GeekGirlCon or Nine Worlds, girl geeks were organizers of early fan gatherings, fan-based initiatives, alternative media-making, and indie publishing opportunities. <a href="http://www.startrek.com/article/bjo-trimble-the-woman-who-saved-star-trek-part-1" target="_blank">Bjo Trimble</a> spearheaded a letter writing campaign with her husband, John, in 1968 to save the original <em>Star Trek</em> series from cancellation—resulting in a third and final season for the classic franchise. <a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/adventures-in-feministory-women-comics-of-the-70s-and-80s" target="_blank">The Wimmen’s Comix collective</a> was formed in the 1970s as a response to sexism and misogyny in the underground<span style="color: #008000;">&nbsp;</span>comix movement. <a href="http://www.wiscon.info/about.php" target="_blank">WisCon</a>, the first and foremost feminist science fiction convention in the world, held its inaugural con in 1977 and will be convening their 39<sup>th</sup> event in 2015. Some of these geeky foremothers were honored at Geek Girl Con this year:&nbsp;Seattle-based radio producer Jamala Henderson organized and moderated <a href="http://geekgirlcon.com/geek-elders-speak-the-recap/" target="_blank">a panel on Geek Elders</a><span style="color: #008000;">,&nbsp;</span>introducing audience members to four women involved in 1970s and 80s <em>Star Trek</em> and <em>Star Wars</em> fan communities. Women have been integral to building<span style="color: #008000;">&nbsp;geek c</span>ommunities—history that should not be forgotten or overlooked.</p>
<hr />
<p><em>Here is a not-at-all comprehensive list of where to find geek women bypassing the constraints of traditional media (and often sexist institutions) to both direct the&nbsp;conversation, create communities, and&nbsp;influence geek culture. Although they're now defunct, I should note that organizations like&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friends_of_Lulu" target="_blank">Friends of Lulu</a>&nbsp;(1994-2011) and&nbsp;<a href="http://girl-wonder.org" target="_blank">Girl-Wonder.org</a>&nbsp;(2006-2013) were essential advocates that promoted and encouraged female readership and participation.</em></p>
<p><strong>GEEK GIRL RESOURCES:</strong></p>
<p>•&nbsp;<a href="http://blackgirlnerds.com">Black Girl Nerds</a> - A site about being a nerdy black girl and why we love it so much.</p>
<p>•&nbsp;<a href="http://geekgirlcon.com">GeekGirlCon</a> - A nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting awareness of and celebrating the contribution and involvement of women in all aspects of the sciences, science fiction, comics, gaming and related Geek culture through conventions and events that emphasize both historic and ongoing contribution and influence of women in this culture.</p>
<p>•&nbsp;<a href="http://eschergirls.tumblr.com">Escher Girls</a> - A blog to archive and showcase the prevalence of certain ways women are depicted in illustrated pop media, specifically how women are posed, drawn, distorted, and/or sexualized out of context, often in ridiculous, impossible or disturbing ways that sacrifice storytelling.</p>
<p>•&nbsp;<a href="http://legionofleia.com">Legion of Leia</a> – Has a mission to raise awareness of the fact that women love sci-fi.</p>
<p>•&nbsp;<a href="http://theunicornfiles.tumblr.com">The Unicorn Files</a> – A photojournalism project to show that female geeks exist, and are a wide and diverse group.</p>
<p>•&nbsp;<a href="http://www.geekquality.com">Geekquality</a> – A project standing at the intersection of fandom and media criticism, with the goal of celebrating and encouraging diversity within the geek zeitgeist.</p>
<p>•&nbsp;<a href="http://www.themarysue.com">The Mary Sue</a> - Promotes, watches, extolls, and celebrates women’s representation in all of areas of geekdom and works to make geekdom safe and open for women.</p>
<p>•&nbsp;<a href="http://bewarethevalkyries.com">The Valkyries</a> – A collective of women who work in comic book retail, providing a network of support, as well as promoting female-friendly spaces and female-friendly comic book works.&nbsp;</p>
<p>•&nbsp;<a href="http://www.womeninhorrormonth.com">Women in Horror Month</a> - Women in Horror Recognition Month (WiHM) assists female genre artists in gaining opportunities, exposure, and education through altruistic events, printed material, articles, interviews, and online support.</p>
<p>•&nbsp;<a href="http://www.graveyardshiftsisters.com" target="_blank">Graveyard Shift Sisters</a> – A space to highlight and celebrate the experiences and achievements of Black women and women of color in the horror (and science fiction) genre.&nbsp;</p>
<p>•&nbsp;<a href="http://geekmom.com" target="_blank">Geek Mom</a> – A community of writers, readers, and media geeks, dedicated to the vision of creating a smart, savvy, social online experience for geek parents everywhere.</p>
<p>•&nbsp;<a href="http://parentinggeekly.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Parenting Geekly</a> – A place for geeky parents to find product reviews, technology and media guides, and advice, all with a nerdy twist.</p>
<p>•&nbsp;<a href="http://borderhouseblog.com" target="_blank">Border House</a> – A gaming blog with feminist analysis for those who are feminist, queer, disabled, people of color, transgender, poor, gay, lesbian, and others who belong to marginalized groups, as well as allies.</p>
<p>•&nbsp;<a href="http://wearecomics.tumblr.com" target="_blank">We are Comics</a> - A campaign to show—and celebrate—the faces of creators, publishers, retailers, readers; professionals and fans in the comics community. Has a mission to promote the visibility of marginalized members of our population; and to stand in solidarity against harassment and abuse.</p>
<hr />
<p><em>Related Reading: <a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/geek-culture-a-new-hope" target="_blank">Geek Culture — A New Hope.&nbsp;</a></em></p>
<p><em>In the next article in this three-part series, we look at how LGBTQ communities are influencing geek culture!</em></p>
<p><em>Jennifer K. Stuller is an </em><a href="http://www.ink-stainedamazon.com/"><em>Ink-Stained Amazon</em></a><em>, a co-founder of&nbsp;</em><a href="http://geekgirlcon.com/"><em>Geek Girl Con</em></a><em>, and was sorted into House Ravenclaw. Her feature “Leveling Up: Geek Woman Are Connecting Like Never Before” can be read in </em><a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/issue/65">Bitch<em>’s upcoming (Re)Vision issue</em></a><em>.&nbsp;</em></p>
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http://bitchmagazine.org/post/the-history-of-women-in-geek-culture-should-not-be-overlooked#commentscomicsgaminggeek girl congeeksSocial CommentaryWed, 19 Nov 2014 21:59:50 +0000Jennifer K. Stuller29211 at http://bitchmagazine.orgGeek Culture: A New Hopehttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/geek-culture-a-new-hope
<p><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5616/15336592108_e389691263_b.jpg" alt="four people cosplaying as punk sailor moon warriors at geek girl con" width="670" height="590" /></p>
<p><em>Despite all the recent harassment, many people and groups are successfully changing the image of geek culture—including these "punk senshi" cosplayers at <a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/nerds-unite-at-seattles-geek-girl-con-photos" target="_blank">Geek Girl Con</a>. (<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mirkmirk/15336592108/in/set-72157648300676639" target="_blank">photo by Sarah Mirk</a>)</em></p>
<p>A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... geeks and nerds were relentlessly mocked and bullied. So they found communities through zines and the early internet and congregated in comic book stores and arcades—spaces where they could feel sheltered from the cruel taunts of jocks and buoyed by like-minded obsessives. Occasionally, they were reported on with bemusement by local news correspondents, who attempted to comment on the costuming, devotion, and tribal behavior of True Believers, Jedi Knights, and Trekkies. Those gathering in lines for the release of <em>Star Wars: The Phantom Menace</em> or pilgrimaging from afar to the Geek Mecca of San Diego Comic-Con International were oddities to the general public, and therefore newsworthy.</p>
<p>There was an assumption that nerds were sexless, socially awkward basement dwellers—always male, always desperate for female attention (and thus implicitly heterosexual). They were just like the proverbial Comic Book Guy of <em>The Simpsons</em>, a character whose very name embodies a stereotype.</p>
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/u2583/diggs_90.jpg" alt="comic book guy and other characters on the simpsons cosplaying" width="670" height="367" /></p>
<p>But that’s all changed in the past decade. As geek culture and nerd enthusiasms have seeped into the American cultural consciousness—and their buying power has become clear to marketers—people who may not have felt able to claim geek identity are able to be more open with their passions. The ubiquitous geekery of comics, games, and videos has brought more people than ever into the fold and made “nerdy” mainstream. &nbsp;</p>
<p>Some geeks don’t like it—and they’ve let it be known with harassment and intimidation, mostly of women by men, in gaming, comics, skeptic, and tech communities. It’s time for people who are grasping onto their privilege like the One Ring to understand the fact that geek culture is evolving for the better.</p>
<p>On <em>Parks and Rec</em>, Ben Wyatt gets it right:</p>
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/u2583/untitled.png" alt="Ben on Parks and Rec saying &quot;nerd culture is mainstream now.&quot;" width="670" height="300" /></p>
<p><em>&nbsp;</em></p>
<p>One has to wonder: were the darling-bootied, fan-fic writing, <a href="http://www.vulture.com/2013/12/cones-of-dunshire-parks-and-recreation-game-oral-history.html" target="_blank">board game-designing</a>, arm candy of one Ms. Leslie Knope a real person instead of a television character, would he receive an avalanche of daily gendered terrorism a la <a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/as-anita-sarkeesian-shows-online-harassment-is-now-a-life-and-death-issue" target="_blank">Anita Sarkeesian</a> for being a geek? &nbsp;</p>
<p>Or, as with other nerd dude icons widely recognized in American culture who have dared to comment on geek issues, including sexism and misogyny within geek culture (<a href="http://www.themarysue.com/joss-whedon-tweets-about-anita-sarkeesian/" target="_blank">Joss Whedon</a>, Wil Wheaton, Seth Rogen, Neil Gaiman, Chris Kluwe, Patton Oswalt, <a href="http://ruckawriter.tumblr.com/post/83527917580/contents-under-pressure" target="_blank">Greg Rucka</a>, <a href="http://whatever.scalzi.com/2013/07/05/convention-harassment-policy-follow-up/" target="_blank">John Scalzi</a>, <a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/watch-anita-sarkeesian-on-the-colbert-report" target="_blank">Stephen Colbert</a>) would he largely be ignored?</p>
<p>Likely.</p>
<p>When Patton Oswalt <a href="http://www.wired.com/2010/12/ff_angrynerd_geekculture/all/" target="_blank">lamented the mainstreaming of geekdom in a 2010 article for <em>Wired</em></a>, claiming its unprecedented accessibility changed the geek experience by making narratives and ephemera available to everyone and anyone at any time, suggesting that geek culture needed to die in order to be built anew, the Interwebs lost their shit. But while people were put-out, grumbly, and occasionally even combative, the response to Oswalt’s “get off my lawn”-esque feature seemed to refrain from the same level of sexual threats and stalking faced by women like Leigh Alexander, for example, who was showered with violent threats this year following her <a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/224400/Gamers_dont_have_to_be_your_audience_Gamers_are_over.php" target="_blank">Gamasutra article on ‘gamers’ being over</a>. (Or, perhaps Oswalt didn’t make any hate he received public. Regardless,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bitchmedia.org/post/one-in-four-young-female-internet-users-is-stalked-online" target="_blank">evidence suggests online harassment is gendered in execution</a>, so while Oswalt may have been insulted it’s unlikely he was sexually harassed for his opinions.)</p>
<p>What’s underlying the recent outburst of hatred is the fact that culture <em>is </em>changing. New communities of nerdy people are changing what it means to be a nerd, and so what we’re looking at in this cultural moment is not the death of the geek, but the death of a stereotype. People who’ve historically not been seen as geeks—people who are not straight, white males—are building communities online and IRL to connect genre preferences with identity politics. Think: <a href="http://www.blerdnation.com/about" target="_blank">Blerds</a> or <a href="http://www.gaymerx.com/" target="_blank">Gaymers</a>.</p>
<p>Even Comic Book Guy has a cousin—Comic Book Gay, introduced briefly in a 2011 episode of <em>The Simpsons</em>.</p>
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/u2583/comic_book_guy.png" alt="comic book guy" width="280" height="311" /><img src="/sites/default/files/u2583/comic_book_gay.png" alt="comic book gay" width="260" height="311" /></p>
<p>There’s a lot to celebrate about these changes. But in the midst of the death threats, promises of sexual violence, disturbing and puerile chatter, attempts to destroy finances and/or careers, and daily acts of gendered terrorism and other criminality, it’s understandable, as <a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/as-anita-sarkeesian-shows-online-harassment-is-now-a-life-and-death-issue" target="_blank"><em>Bitch</em>’s own Sarah wrote last month</a>, to feel “like curling up in a ball.” But Mirk also noted that even as “Geek culture is currently getting a very bad rap from men who get off on threatening women... thousands of other people are determined to not let exclusion and male domination define the culture they hold dear.”</p>
<p>There <em>are</em> allied and growing intersecting communities of forward-thinking nerds using social media, performance, costuming, crowd-funding, and fandom to nurture supportive, activist, and celebratory spaces. Go ahead and call them “Social Justice Warriors” (the term, intended as a pejorative, has been <a href="http://www.themarysue.com/social-justice-pins/" target="_blank">embraced</a>). With new spaces, these Social Justice Warriors are helping inclusive and intersectional geek culture flourish.</p>
<p>It’s in this spirit that, while battling the demons and the forces of darkness seething from the depths of geekdom’s personal Hellmouth, I think we should also make sure to take time to reinforce the more positive initiatives, interventions, and movements facilitated by open-minded geeks. It’s important to recognize people who are making our geeky world better—one nerdy act at a time.</p>
<p>So in the first of a series of three articles for <em>Bitch</em> celebrating the positive parts of geek culture, I’ll start by celebrating Geektivists—individuals, organizations, and communities who use their love of popular culture, and their fandom, to engage in a political and activist endeavors.</p>
<p>This short list is by no means comprehensive, but its a brief and necessary reminder of the true heart of geek culture. It provides a snapshot of what activism, <em>fan activism</em>, looks like in the 21st Century:</p>
<p><strong>•&nbsp;<a href="http://www.californiabrowncoats.org" target="_blank">The Browncoats</a></strong>:&nbsp;Fans of the short-lived television series Firefly have held fundraisers called Can’t Stop the Serenity that have raised over $900,000 since 2006 for human rights organization Equality Now.</p>
<p><strong>•&nbsp;<a href="http://thehpalliance.org" target="_blank">Harry Potter Alliance</a></strong>:&nbsp;A fan-created and supported organization with over 270 active chapters in over 25 countries makes activism accessible through the love and power of story. The HPA works for equality, human rights, and literacy—often utilizing social media for book drives, petitions, and fundraising that support their larger goals. Their motto? "The weapon we have is love."</p>
<p><strong>•&nbsp;<a href="http://www.geeksforconsent.org" target="_blank">Geeks for CONsent</a></strong>:&nbsp;A collective of comic, sci-fi, and fantasy convention enthusiasts (formerly of HollabackPHILLY) came together to create safer convention spaces. Geeks for CONsent raises awareness of harassment issues on the con floor, provides a safe online community for sharing stories, and advocates for strong, clear, and visible anti-harassment policies and codes of conduct.</p>
<p><strong>•&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sikhtoons.com/index.html">Sikhtoons</a></strong> and <strong><a href="http://www.pri.org/stories/2014-10-17/captain-america-sikh-you-got-problem" target="_blank">the Sikh Captain America</a>:</strong>&nbsp;Vishavjit Singh’s road to being known as the “Sikh Captain America” began with his political cartooning and a post-9/11 comic illustration drawn at New York City Comic-Con that featured the iconic superhero as a Sikh man with a caption that read: “Relax, it’s just a turban, now let’s kick some intolerant ass.” After the massacre at a Sikh temple in Milwaukee in 2012, Singh started dressing as “the most patriotic of superheroes” and walking around New York City to shake perceptions of turbans and beards—enlightening others’ ideas about race, heroism, and patriotism.</p>
<p><strong>•&nbsp;<a href="http://con-or-bust.org" target="_blank">Con or Bust</a>:</strong>&nbsp;This organization administered under the umbrella of the Carl Brandon Society helps people of color attend science fiction and fantasy conventions and thus increase racial and ethnic diversity in these environments.</p>
<p><strong>•&nbsp;<a href="http://www.comic-con.org/cci/blood-drive" target="_blank">Comic-Con International's Robert A. Heinlein Blood Drive</a></strong>:&nbsp;Started in 1977, the annual drive has collected over 14,000 pints of blood in the past 38 years.&nbsp;Additionally, in an unrelated charitable event every February, supporters of <a href="http://www.womeninhorrormonth.com/massive-blood-drive/" target="_blank"><strong>Women in Horror Month</strong></a> support a month-long massive blood drive.</p>
<p><strong>•&nbsp;<a href="http://www.childsplaycharity.org" target="_blank">Child’s Play</a>:</strong>&nbsp;A game industry charity with a network of over 70 hospitals worldwide, Child’s Play works with hospital staff to establish gift wish lists of video games, toys, and books for kids which supporters can then purchase. (They also accept cash donations.) The opportunity to experience a sense of normalcy while undergoing difficult treatments makes an immense difference in the lives of child patients.</p>
<p><strong>•&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/LadyPlaneswalkersSociety" target="_blank">Lady Planeswalkers Society</a></strong> – Founded by <a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/meet-the-awesome-league-of-female-magic-the-gathering-players" target="_blank">Tifa Robles</a>, in 2011, the Lady Planeswalkers Society creates a welcoming, friendly environment for women of all skill levels to learn and battle Magic: The Gathering, a collectible trading card game published by Wizards of the Coast.</p>
<p><em>In the next article in this series, we</em><em>’ll celebrate Geek Girls!</em></p>
<p><em>Jennifer K. Stuller is an </em><a href="http://www.ink-stainedamazon.com" target="_blank"><em>Ink-Stained Amazon</em></a><em> and a co-founder of&nbsp;</em><a href="http://geekgirlcon.com" target="_blank"><em>GeekGirlCon</em></a><em>. Her feature </em><em>“Leveling Up: Geek Woman Are Connecting Like Never Before</em><em>” can be read in </em><a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/issue/65" target="_blank">Bitch<em>’s upcoming (Re)Vision issue</em></a><em>.&nbsp;</em></p>
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http://bitchmagazine.org/post/geek-culture-a-new-hope#commentsgaminggeek culturegeek girl conSocial CommentarySat, 08 Nov 2014 00:08:31 +0000Jennifer K. Stuller28943 at http://bitchmagazine.orgNerds Unite at Seattle's Geek Girl Con: Photos.http://bitchmagazine.org/post/nerds-unite-at-seattles-geek-girl-con-photos
<p><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3942/15336499150_d3b1e018c9_b.jpg" alt="two women in cosplay make a hand signal" width="670" height="500" /></p>
<p><a href="http://geekgirlcon.com/about-us/" target="_blank">Geek Girl Con</a> took over downtown Seattle’s convention center this weekend for its fourth annual celebration of the creativity and cultural contributions of nerdy women everywhere. Hundreds of people (many in costume) crowded four floors of the convention center to play tabletop games, attend panels on topics like “Sex Scenes from the Female Gaze,” shop at an art expo, and do kid-friendly experiments in a DIY science zone.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>Geek Girl Con’s mission to create community among women in science, technology, and arts took on a feeling of added urgency this year, as <a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/hate-from-sexist-gamer-bros-cant-stop-the-work-of-feminist-gamers" target="_blank">sexist harassment of women working in video games</a> has been front-page news these past two months. The importance of forging a more supportive, inclusive culture in those male-dominated realms was brought into especially sharp focus during a packed Saturday morning conversation between <a href="http://www.feministfrequency.com/" target="_blank">Feminist Frequency founder Anita Sarkeesian</a> and cultural critic <a href="http://ink-stainedamazon.com/" target="_blank">Jennifer K. Stuller</a>. Sarkeesian has repeatedly received death threats in recent months for her work calling out misogynistic tropes in video games.</p>
<p>“The most radical thing you can do is believe women when they talk about their experiences,” Sarkeesian told the crowd, to loud applause. Thanks to the work of women’s rights advocates, societal attitudes now outwardly condemn harassment of women in the home, office, and in public spaces. But harassment of women in <em>online</em> public spaces is still an uncertain frontier that’s not taken seriously enough. Sarkeesian says she has filed police reports about especially troubling physical threats, but the police frequently don’t understand the situation. “I can’t believe how many police officers I’ve had to explain Twitter to,” she said. <a href="http://www.feministfrequency.com/" target="_blank">Feminist Frequency</a> is currently planning to expand their work a bit to deal more directly with educating people about online harassment, including sharing strategies for dealing with harassment constructively.&nbsp; Sarkeesian said that she is often asked how to best support people who are being harassed. There’s no easy solution, she said, but community is crucial. “I don’t have any answers for that except that it’s important for people to speak up in support,” she said.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Geek Girl Con and Feminist Frequency both resonate with a major cultural moment, as <a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/made-with-code-hopes-to-get-girls-thinking-about-coding-but-needs-less-pink-and-purple" target="_blank">giant tech companies like Google</a> finally seem to be waking up to the need to be more inclusive and diverse. While Sarkeesian’s experience spelled out some very troubling problems that women face as they seek to make geek culture less sexist, Geek Girl Con itself had an upbeat feel, with people admiring strangers’ homemade cosplay outfits and gushing over 12-sided-die hairclips and <em>Star Trek</em> fanart. Unlike the mob of crowds at larger conventions like San Diego’s Comic-Con, Geek Girl Con felt like a warm and friendly scene. As women swapped art, led imaginary conquests at the gaming tables, and discussed their favorite video games, it was clear that the long-exclusive cultures around technology and geekdom will only benefit from the work women are doing to build nerdy networks that thrive on support.&nbsp;</p>
<p>I took a bunch of photos to give a feel for the covention—here we go.&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3946/15500080806_f74b6447bb_b.jpg" alt="a girl shows off a dress covered in starship enterprises" width="670" height="500" /></p>
<p><em>Beth Myrick of Portland, Oregon sported a hand-sewn Starship Enterprise dress.&nbsp;</em></p>
<p><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5599/15520078851_ef46ef41a6_c.jpg" alt="a girl wears a 12-sided die in her hair as a hairclip" width="670" height="420" /></p>
<p><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5600/15500079566_afea7b8655_b.jpg" alt="earrings made from 12-sided dies" width="670" height="420" /></p>
<p><em>Creative reuses for dice abounded.</em>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5601/15336353389_fde430264d_b.jpg" alt="aubrey holds up a set of dice, one of which has her face on it" width="670" height="490" /></p>
<p><em>Aubrey of <a href="http://www.thedoubleclicks.com/" target="_blank">The Doubleclicks</a> shows you haven't made it as a nerd rock band until you've got your own dice.</em></p>
<p><em><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3935/15336502190_f17ef7fdf4_b.jpg" alt="" width="670" height="450" /></em></p>
<p><em>Watch out!&nbsp;</em></p>
<p><em><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5606/15500081096_2c42d5946a_b.jpg" alt="tables set up at the convention's diy science zone" width="670" height="450" /></em></p>
<p><em>At the DIY Science Zone, experts showed people—even space princesses—how to write with invisible ink.</em></p>
<p><em><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5614/15336641677_4433c0a9e5_b.jpg" alt="" width="670" height="480" /><br /></em></p>
<p><em>Among dozens of vendors, artist Cinnamon Bonikowski makes "hand-painted pixel art."</em></p>
<p><em><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3943/15336353569_45d640ae31_b.jpg" alt="a fanart card" width="670" height="490" /></em></p>
<p><em>Top-notch nerdy fan art from artist <a href="http://lolo-ology.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Lolo-ology.</a> &nbsp;</em></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5608/15522860532_5ed2269efd_b.jpg" alt="terry blas posing behind a stack of his comic terry blas" width="584" height="1024" /></em></p>
<p><em>Comics writer Terry Blas tabling for <a href="http://northwestpress.com/" target="_blank">Northwest Press</a>, which focuses on publishing queer-friendly comics.</em></p>
<p><em><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5601/15523245855_b39c168f9e_b.jpg" alt="a group of people plays a game" width="670" height="420" /></em></p>
<p><em><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5608/15500076506_e078f4e890_b.jpg" alt="" width="670" height="500" /></em></p>
<p><em>The gaming hall took over the bottom floor of the convention center. I love that adorable sky bison.&nbsp;</em></p>
<p><em><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3956/15336502820_55405f0c37_b.jpg" alt="a sign saying there is no harassment allowed" width="670" height="1000" /></em></p>
<p><em><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3949/15336351199_7c24c3500e_c.jpg" alt="nails being painted" width="670" height="450" /></em></p>
<p><em>This is the only time I've seen a place to get your nails done at a con—Geek Girl Con had not one but three nail art booths!&nbsp;</em></p>
<p><em><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3937/15500076066_6489a12d36_b.jpg" alt="a girl wears a crocheted yoshi costume" width="670" height="980" /></em></p>
<p><em><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5607/15336590798_2ca4cde378_b.jpg" alt="the yoshi " width="670" height="420" /></em></p>
<p><em>This crocheted Yoshi outfit was out of control.</em></p>
<p><em><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5616/15336592108_e389691263_b.jpg" alt="four people dressed as punk senshi warriors" width="670" height="590" /></em></p>
<p><em>This gang styled themselves as punk versions of Sailor Moon's senshi. Needless to say, everyone thought they were rad.&nbsp;</em></p>
<p><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3946/15520078571_75a4d916fa_c.jpg" alt="a woman wears a tiny top hat and sports steampunk suspenders" width="670" height="450" /></p>
<p><em>This steampunk woman's friend told me, "She made her whole outfit! She'd never tell you, but she did!"&nbsp;</em></p>
<p><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3937/15520078181_ddc4eda814_c.jpg" alt="a cosplayer wears a bright red, handpainted vest" width="670" height="450" /></p>
<p><em>I didn't recognize half the cosplay outifits at Geek Girl Con—turns out this hand-painted vest is from a </em>Resident Evil <em>character.</em></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3943/15523246705_82136b52a8_c.jpg" alt="two friends cosplaying" width="561" height="800" /></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3935/15336345919_53b4c1c543_c.jpg" alt="a hobbit standing on the street in seattle" width="585" height="800" /></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3947/15500073356_8b8993109d_z.jpg" alt="a girl wearing all sorts of pastel colors flashes a peace sign" width="590" height="640" /></p>
<p><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5602/15523250535_6c9dd3528c_b.jpg" alt="a woman dressed in all purple as the Lumpy Space Princess" width="645" height="1024" /></p>
<p style="padding-left: 60px;"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5614/15522858482_d2deb0380e_c.jpg" alt="" width="501" height="800" /></p>
<p><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3941/15336645597_74773053f1_b.jpg" alt="a mom and daughter dressed as hunger games charactes" width="670" height="990" /></p>
<p><em>Effie Trinket and the tiniest, most unhappy Katniss.&nbsp;</em></p>
<p style="padding-left: 60px;"><em><img src="/sites/default/files/u2583/screen_shot_2014-10-13_at_12.15.42_am.png" alt="" width="549" height="548" /><br /></em></p>
<p><em>Related Listening: <a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/popaganda-episode-the-evolution-of-wonder-woman" target="_blank">The Evolution of Wonder Woman.</a></em></p>
<p><em>Sarah Mirk is Bitch Media's online editor.&nbsp;</em></p>
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http://bitchmagazine.org/post/nerds-unite-at-seattles-geek-girl-con-photos#commentsAnita Sarkeesiangeek culturegeek girl conGeneral nerditrySocial CommentaryMon, 13 Oct 2014 07:09:13 +0000Sarah Mirk28288 at http://bitchmagazine.orgPopaganda Episode: Nerds!http://bitchmagazine.org/post/popaganda-episode-nerds
<p><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2857/8896430212_b691ae1db8.jpg" alt="Quote from geek girl con: 'It's a position of privilege when just by being male, on one's going to say, you're a nerd, really?'" width="500" height="362" /></p>
<p>Nerds are the kings of our culture these days—but what is a nerd, exactly, and who gets to call themselves one? This show digs into gender, race, and nerdery with an organizer of <a href="http://www.geekgirlcon.com/" target="_blank">GeekGirlCon</a>, comedy nerd <a href="http://phoeberobinson.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Phoebe Robinson</a>, music nerd turned Yale lecturer <a href="http://english.yale.edu/faculty-staff/allyson-mccabe" target="_blank">Allyson McCabe</a>, and (of course!) a rigorous discussion of feminism in Star Trek with two hardcore Trekkies. Listen in!&nbsp;</p>
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<p><strong>Read the transcript of the show below or <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/147427043/Bitch-Media-Popaganda-Podcast-Nerds" target="_blank">download it here</a>!</strong></p>
<blockquote><p class="p1">SARAH MIRK:&nbsp; This is Sarah Mirk and this is Popaganda, Bitch Media's feminist response to pop culture podcast.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p2">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">Thanks to our sponsor, She Bop, a women-owned sex toy boutique that specializes in body safe products and education. Check them out at <a href="http://www.sheboptheshop.com">sheboptheshop.com</a>.</p>
<p class="p2">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">[jingle]&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p2">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">If there's one maligned group in society that has transformed its image in the past decade—just one—I'd argue it's the nerds. We've moved from the idea of nerds being unbearable, suspender-wearing whiz kids like Steve Urkle to nerds being both beloved and ubiquitous. It seems like everyone considers themselves a nerd these days. You can be a comics nerd or a movie nerd or a politics nerd, we're all a nerd about something. And yet, there's still this gendered aspect to nerdery. Many groups of nerds like to be exclusive, they consider begin a nerd being a gatekeeper. In the world of technology and science and comic book conventions, being a female nerd is still kind of&nbsp; big deal. Women still find ourselves running up against barriers and snobby attitudes and sexism from dudes who say, "We're the real nerds."&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p2">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">Today we'll talk about some of our favorite nerds in pop culture, talk with a genuine comics nerd, discuss changing perceptions of nerds over time with one of the organizers of Geek Girl Con. And, of course, no show about nerds is complete without a discussion of feminism in Star Trek. We've got that too.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p2">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">[jingle]&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p2">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">SARAH MIRK: First, we're going to start with a group discussion about, "What is a nerd?" I'm here in the studio with some distinguished guests.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p2">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">[laughter]&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p2">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">ANDI ZEISLER: I'm Andi Zeisler, co-founder and editorial creative director of Bitch.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>
<p class="p2">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">EMILLY PRADO: I'm Emilly Prado, aI'm the editorial intern at Bitch.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p2">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">MIRK: What's the difference between a nerd, a geek, and a dork?&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p2">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">I think historically, we think of nerds as smart outcasts, whereas geeks are outcasts who are not smart. And then dorks are just beyond redemption. I don't know what dorks are, but it's not good. You don't want to be a dork, it's not good. Whereas with a nerd, it's kind cool.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p2">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">PRADO: I think with a nerd or a geek, there's an interest in something that's counter culture, like D&amp;D.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p2">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">MIRK: I think of a nerd or a geek as someone who's into a specific thing. So whether you're a film nerd or a movie nerd, you're very knowledgable on it, and it becomes a cool thing.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p2">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">ZEISLER: And we need to talk about they way intellectual capital has really expanded in coolness over the past several decades. When I was growing up in the eighties, nerd was this outcast who had to redeem him or herself. Revenge of the Nerds was a big movie. Now it's become very much of a nerd society, where people actively want to identify as nerds.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p2">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">MIRK: Nerds have money, nerds have power. Let's talk about some of our favorite nerds.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p2">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">PRADO: My favorite nerd is Bill Haverchuck, from Freaks and Geeks. In Freaks and Geeks, you've got Bill, Sam, and Neil, each has their own niche of nerdom, but Bill really shines because he's really not trying hard.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p2">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">ZEISLER; With the other two, you get the impression that the other two are going to outgrow their nerdery, but Bill is just not. But that makes him all the more realistic and that makes you love him more.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p2">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">MIRK: I think my favorite nerd in high school was Daria. She's probably my favorite, just because I was so surprised to see a character like her on TV. A smart, funny, dry female character who's got awesome artsy friends who didn't care about being cool, she's a nerd because she's really into books and reading and hates high school. I'm not nearly a dark or combat boot friendly as she is, but I was also not that into being in high school and I connected with her in a big way.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p2">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">ZEISLER: I think 80s teen movies are a real wealth of nerd characterizations. I feel real affection for all the characters in this movie, but Real Genius. It's set at a hotbed of neediness, a science college, and there's this one girl nerd Jordan, who is really lovable. She's not apologizing for who she is, she is very smart and within her environment is very well liked, but is very much against the 80s ideal of the blonde prom queen, or someone who secretly aspired to be that. She just didn't care. After the 80s, we got a lot more nuanced characterizations of nerds, like there wasn't the automatic separation from the popular kids. Think of Gilmore Girls—Lane Kim and Paris Geller were characters who were very deeply nerds, but they weren't outcasts, they're very entrenched in the social fabric of their schools and their communities.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p2">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p3"><span class="s1">MIRK: i think the best example of that these days is Leslie Knope from Parks and Rec, who is both a super nerd and in charge of everything. She's at the top of the heap, and yet a central part of her character is that she's obsessed with public process. She's both a popular girl and a nerd. </span>You know who changed my life growing up was the character from Jurassic Park, Dr.Ellie Satler, who was a nerd, but it was never really a big deal. She's got an amazing career as an archaolgoist and knew a lot about plants, but it was never demeaned or diminished. It was actually cool and sexy that she knew so much about, like, ethnobotany. I think that character is why I developed a lifelong love of science and spent my summers in high school working as a volunteer archaeologist. Which, uh, I can definitely say I was a nerd in school because of that.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p4">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p5">[laughter]&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p5">[jingle]</p>
<p class="p5">MIRK: One of my new favorite comedy nerds is Phoebe Robinson, who I saw at Bridgetown Comedy Fest here in Portland and who runs the blog Blaria, the Black Daria. Thanks for joining us on the show, Phoebe.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p5">PHOEBE ROBINSON: Thanks for having me!&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p5">MIRK: A lot of your work that I've seen relates to being a nerd and nerd culture. What are your favorite aspects of nerd culture and how do you feel like you're a part of it or not?&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p5">ROBINSON: The thing I like about nerd culture is it just owns it. I'm very into cultures in general that say, "This is who I am," and just embraces it.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p5">MIRK: Do you consider yourself a comedy nerd? &nbsp;</p>
<p class="p5">ROBINSON: I try to watch every comedy special that comes on TV.</p>
<p class="p5">MIRK: That's a lot of comedy specials.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p5">ROBINSON: Yeah, it's a lot. And when i do shows, a lot of people don't like to watch everyone who performs, but I do. I've been doing it for five years and I never get tired of watching other people perform. I listen to stand-up tapes on my way to work. I try to learn as much as I can because I never wanted to be a stand-up comedian, so I feel like I have to play catch up to people who knew from, like, age 5 that they wanted to be stand up comedians and what they did their whole lives, i"m trying to cram into five years. I definitely do obsess.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p5">When you're watching comedy shows and listening to stand up tapes, do you get analytical about it, or do you just get swept up in it?&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p5">ROBINSON: I get swept up in it, but once it's over I'll analyze and think about it. When I'm listening to it, I try to listen to it just like an audience member. But in person, I'm like half and half. I'll look at the audience and see how they're laughing, if it's edgier material, I'll pay attention to how a comic will do crowd work and dovetail that into a joke they want to talk about, or they'll have to step off a joke to address something else, then get back into it. Those kind of things, I pay attention to in person.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p5">MIRK: How do you prepare your own set? Do you prepare things and then tear them apart and put them back together, or are you more loose?&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p5">When i was first getting started, I was very rigid. I would write everything out, then memorize it in front of the mirror, just recite it. Now, I'll hand write a joke, then I'll memorize it enough that if I got off track, I could get back on track. I always allow room to riff, to get sidetracked and see what else works. It's looser and i have more fun writing because it's not like, "If I say 'the' here, but not here, the joke is ruined.'" Memorizing your jokes are pretty much all you have control over. Like, you're funny, but you don't necessarily know why you're funny. Your voice isn't defined yet, so you say, 'Oh, that joke was great, but I don't know how to make another joke like that.;&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p5">[jingle]</p>
<p class="p5">MIRK: Once a year, downtown Seattle overflows with women who identify as nerds. An annual convention called Geek Girl Con draws hundreds of people to the city. I called up Geek Girl Con staffer Raychelle Burks, to talk about the conference and perceptions of nerds.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p5">Do you think perceptions of female nerds have changed since the time when you were growing up?&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p5">RAYCHELLE BURKS: Oh, when I was in high school, being a nerd was a bit derogatory. It wasn't a positive thing. It meant you weren't popular. So today I think the perception has changed. As far as gender issues and race issues within nerddom, women having to provide bonfires of how nerdy you are, so you're not a fake nerd.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p5">It's funny, because all nerds are into out-herding each other. Who knows more about Star Wars? Who has the definitive opinion on Ravenclaw vs. Hufflepuff? But it feels different to me as a woman, and I'm sure it feels different to you as a black woman, feeling like I have to prove I'm a nerd because I'm female. That kind of proving feels different.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p5">Very much so. There's the natural competitiveness. We both know that you can have nerd-offs almost. How nerdy are you? But it's totally different that you ever 'should be here.' That you are even in the realm of being a nerd. And so I think that's a completely different thing. The kind of a great thing about geek girl con is you walk into a place and there is no feeling out of place, there is no feeling that people are looking at me like I shouldn't be here, that people are looking at me and I need to impress them with my neediness. Everyone is a nerd in their own way and there doesn't seem to be this, you need to prove how much of a dork you are. With the mission, the staff, is to make it as inclusive as possible for all types of people for all areas. Someone just asked Will Wheaton at a con recently, what does it mean to be a nerd? And he answered, I'm paraphrasing, it's the way you love something, being passionate about whatever this thing is and you want to be with like-minded people and get into it. It's a really broad approach to neediness, but it's reflective of what Geek Girl Con is about. It's a position of privilege when just by being male, no one's going to say, well really, you're a nerd. But I've definitely felt like, I need to prove that I'm a nerd, that I'm a fan of Battlestar Galatica.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p5">That was Raychelle Burks. Check out the convention yourself at GeekGirlCon.com.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p5">[jingle]</p>
<p class="p5">SARAH MIRK:What happens when a music nerd goes to college and falls in love with academia? We have this story, from Yale lecturer Alison McCade.</p>
<p class="p5">MCCABE: My mother grew up dirt poor in Philadelphia. She dreamt of marrying up and out and realizing her lifelong fantasy of becoming a Jewish-American princess. Instead she married my father and became addicted to diet pills. I fell in love with rock 'n roll. As I stumbled awkwardly towards adolescence, my mother emerged from her dexotrim induced haze, doubling down on her goal of upward mobility. Step one: transforming me from a miniature Joan Jett into a marriageable Jennifer Grey. Step two: launching a highly lucrative bar and batmitzvah theme party business. When I refused to give up guitar and black coal eyeliner, my mother forced me to work in a dumpy craft store so at least she could get a discount on Styrofoam. That's where I met Lisa Berkowitz. Lisa's parents divorce meant transferring to Northeast High, a school so awful we took a vow of truancy. But Lisa and I weren't your typical dropouts. We were hardcore rock nerds, completely convinced that rockstardom was our ticket out of Philly, just as it had freed Bob Dylan from Hibbing and Janis Joplin from Port Arthur. So while the other 748 students in our graduating class prepared for careers in office cubicles, fast food kitchens and shopping malls, Lisa and I spent our days parked in front of MTV, studying for our parts. But, we were also drinking our way through her mother's liquor cabinet and smoking her day through her endless stash of weed. In other words, partying like rock stars without getting around to forming the amazing band that might have made us rock stars. One day I'd had enough. I rode the L past the office where I'd been working as a data entry operator to the central branch of the public library. Stumbling upon its vast collection of college guides, I discovered an alternative escape route: Hampshire College. A school in Massachussetts that didn't consider SAT scores, require majors, or assign grades. My only cultural reference point for New England was Red Lobster, but I started fantasizing about running away to the Shangri La, starting my life over, becoming someone else. Miraculously, I got in, and I left town never to be seen or heard from again, or so I thought. When I arrived at Hampshire, everyone was studying gender theory, and the field's rock stars played to standing room only crowds. There were fanzines, trading cards, even collectible action figures – not to mention groupies. Seeing this I thought I found my second calling, and I immediately traded my fender for a Foucault. I played my first conference while I was still an undergrad, scored my first hit single in the top journal while I was still in grad school. Nothing could have prepared me for the impending collapse of the job market, or the fact that my doctoral program was so cutting-edge, it was cut. I ended up at Yale of all places, where I was hired to teach a glorified version of freshman comp. I thought I'd stay on a year or two, but I ended up staying 10 years. I got promoted, got to teach more advanced writing courses, but at 40, I was not a gender theorist or a rock star. I was just a nerd. One afternoon, I was riding Metro north and I saw a poster for a reality show starring Tony Danza as a newly minted English teacher who'd come to a struggling urban high school to save the children. As soon as I realized Danza was at Northeast, my memories came rushing back. I thought about Lisa, and wondered what became of her, and all the stuff one thinks about when one is barely hiding one's midlife crisis. Hoping to leverage a reunion with Lisa, I called the principal and got myself invited back to Northeast. I found Lisa's number on the Internet and left a message asking her to call. But Lisa didn't call, and it felt crazy to be back in Philly. The old neighborhood had gone down the tubes, and so had the school. There were airport screening machines by the front door, students were forced to wear uniforms, have their movements tracked by electronic ID cards. There was even a suspension trailer in the parking lot. At the end of my tour, the principal deposited me in a classroom to inspire the quote-unquote college-bound students with my success story. But I looked out the window, past the patchy dead grass and rusted chainlink fences, and off in the distance I could see Lisa's old apartment. That's when I knew I'd have to find another way to bridge the distance between who I was, and who I had become.<br /> <br /> [music]</p>
<p class="p5">SARAH MIRK: The top movie in America this month is a nerd spectacular: the newest iteration of the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Into Darkness. Here to discuss the sci-fi series is Zack, a semi-anonymous zinester, whose zine "A field guide to the aliens of Star Trek: Next Generation", is pure gold.</p>
<p class="p5">SARAH MIRK: We're gonna talk about feminism in the show, and actually there's a lot that's been written about this already. And people who are into Star Trek are always really into telling me that Star Trek is all about equality. And that it's really one of the most progressive shows ever written and ever created. And you can really see that from a racial standpoint, that this is one of the first shows that had characters of color right in the spotlight.</p>
<p class="p5">ZACK: Kind of, yeah.</p>
<p class="p5">SARAH MIRK: What's your take on feminism in the show? Do people talk as much about Star Trek being a feminist show as they do about it promoting equality in general?</p>
<p class="p5">ZACK: Well, it definitely got better after awhile. Original Star Trek really just had Uhura. Star Trek: Next Generation had two main female cast members, but they were both in nurturing roles, you had the doctor and the counselor. And the counselor ran around in a little jumpsuit, and it was ridiculous. And then you had Deep Space 9 where you had a science officer who was a woman, and the first officer who was also a former terrorist. And I thought that was awesome, Deep Space 9 did a great job. Voyager you had a female captain, which was in theory great even though she was basically Margaret Thatcher as captain of a Starfleet vessel, and you had a female engineering officer, and you had a female nurse, who was basically the manic-pixie dream girl of Star Trek. And so they got rid of her, and replaced her with sort of this weird Aryan dominatrix in Seven-of-Nine.</p>
<p class="p5">SARAH MIRK: So it went from having only one female character, Uhura, to nurturing female characters – and this is over the course of what, three decades?</p>
<p class="p5">ZACK: Um… longer than that, because '67 until… four decades? Many years.</p>
<p class="p5">SARAH MIRK: What changed about the show? Why do you think that Star Trek's writers and directors started changing the roles of female characters in the show?</p>
<p class="p5">ZACK: A fair amount of it had to do with Gene Roddenberry dying. Roddenberry, for the good things about him, was kind of a sexist, philandering jerk. As progressive as Star Trek was, Star Trek is kind of like, your friend who says, "I don't – I don't see race, I don't see color, I just see <em>people</em>. You wanna give them points for that, for not being super racist, but at the same time, there are a lot of ways that Star Trek is still pretty racist, and still has a long way to go.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p5">SARAH MIRK: So, is Gene Roddenberry that jerky friend, or is all of Star Trek that jerky friend?</p>
<p class="p5">ZACK: All of Star Trek is that jerky friend. Gene Roddenberry was the early jerky friend, and then the other jerky friends took over for him.</p>
<p class="p5">SARAH MIRK: When you were watching the show growing up, did you think about gender? Did you think about the role of female characters on the show?</p>
<p class="p5">ZACK: I did, yeah. Especially when they added in the Aryan dominatrix woman. I was like, "All right, I'm done with this show, I can't." That was what made me stop watching Star Trek, as a kid.</p>
<p class="p5">SARAH MIRK: So it was plausible up until that point of the Aryan dominatrix?</p>
<p class="p5">ZACK: It wasn't an issue of plausibility, it was an issue of tolerability. As revolutionary as it was to have Uhura, especially as a woman of color, being on the bridge, and not being a maid on TV, she was still just a communications officer. Which at the time was amazing. But on Next Generation, there were many times when Crusher basically had to read Picard the riot act. When Polaski took over for her in season two, she's presented as somebody who's not gonna take any shit from Picard. And while most of, especially Troi's episodes had to do with romantic dalliances or being violated by aliens, Crusher's episodes generally were pretty good, it gave female characters a lot more agency on the show.</p>
<p class="p5">SARAH MIRK: But it sounds like what you were saying comparing Star Trek to that person who claims to 'not notice gender,' is that Star Trek maybe gets too much credit for being progressive. In what ways do you find Star Trek to be still retro?</p>
<p class="p5">ZACK: If we're looking at <em>current</em> Star Trek, if we're looking the last movie, it's a very sexist movie. The whole male gaze on Uhura, in the new movie, it's like, "how quickly can we get her into her underpants?"</p>
<p class="p5">SARAH MIRK: I think her very first scene is her – if you haven't seen the film –</p>
<p class="p5">ZACK: I think it's her second scene, but yeah.</p>
<p class="p5">SARAH MIRK: The first scene is her kicking some ass, and the second scene is her taking off her clothes, in her bed, not realizing that somebody's watching her.</p>
<p class="p5">ZACK: Kirk's underneath the bed watching her. And then the trailer for the new movie, depending on what trailer you watch, there's one of the trailers where it's just like – a still photo of a blonde woman in her underpants. Just for a second, that's all, it's just her standing there, arms up in the air. And that's it, it's like, action, action, action, action, underpants woman, action.</p>
<p class="p5">SARAH MIRK: Thank you so much Zack.</p>
<p class="p5">ZACK: Thank you.</p>
<p class="p5">SARAH MIRK: People can't find your zines online, but if they're ever lucky enough to come to Portland, they can find them at Floating World Comics, and Reading Frenzy. Again, the name is "A field guide to the aliens of Star Trek: Next Generation."</p>
<p class="p5">[music]</p>
<p class="p5">SARAH MIRK: And now for a second opinion I'm talking with filmmaker Liz Lewis. On the night of the Star Trek premiere, we're actually sitting in the Star Trek book section at Powell's books.</p>
<p class="p5">LIZ LEWIS: Star Trek was a family tradition. I grew up with my Mom telling me about when she watched Star Trek: The Original Series with her brother, with TV trays. We grew up every Saturday night having pizza and watching Star Trek: Next Generation.</p>
<p class="p5">SARAH MIRK: When you were watching the show, did you think about gender, did you think about feminism and sexuality? Or was it not even on your radar when you were a kid?</p>
<p class="p5">LEWIS: Well, when I was a kid I was pretty naïve, so I don't think I was thinking about it directly, but I was fascinated by the female characters on Star Trek. Deanna Troi was so amazing to me, I loved her so much. I don't know whether it was because I wanted to be her, or just because I was in love with her, but she was amazing to me.</p>
<p class="p5">SARAH MIRK: Looking back on the show now when you watch it, are you sort of mortified that you thought that, or do you still think she's pretty awesome?&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p5">LEWIS: I actually spent last year re-watching all of Next Generation, and was thinking about these issues again as I was watching it. And at some points I was totally embarrassed and just ashamed of that character, and how they wrote her. But that was more rare than the times that I was really happy with her, and that I saw her be a strong woman. And I saw her feminine traits celebrated, instead of disparaged. She was sensitive and she was emotional, but that's how she contributed to the crew, that's how she was a strong member of the crew. I think that was a good message for me as a kid, that I wasn't aware of but that was there for me.</p>
<p class="p5">SARAH MIRK: She was doing these traditionally female roles, she was a nurturer, she was a caretaker, but you saw it as a good thing, that she's celebrating that sort of femininity.</p>
<p class="p5">LEWIS: Absolutely. She saved the crew, over and over again, by being sensitive to whatever alien race they encountered. She was the one that told them "Oh wait, wait, they're not trying to kill us!" or "Oh wait, wait, they <em>are</em> trying to kill us!" And that saved their ass so many times! And I think that does teach young women and did teach me that it's okay to have these traits, it's okay to be sensitive. It can definitely be a strength, and I think it is a strength that I grew up perfecting and having.</p>
<p class="p5">SARAH MIRK: Let's talk about Uhura. Did you like Uhura, growing up? What did you think of her role in the original series versus in the current film?</p>
<p class="p5">LEWIS: So I didn't really encounter Uhura until I was older, I didn't watch the original series as a kid. So of course when I went back and watched it, probably in my teens or early twenties, I was kind of surprised by her itty-bitty tiny skirt. But I was also impressed because she was an integral part of the crew and she did get to be important, and she wasn't just a pretty thing, she actually contributed. Although not nearly as much as she would have if she was in the Next Generation series. But she was still <em>there</em>.</p>
<p class="p5">SARAH MIRK: How do you think watching Star Trek, and being a Star Trek nerd growing up, influenced your thinking about gender and your thinking about feminism?</p>
<p class="p5">LEWIS: I feel like Star Trek: Next Generation taught me what the grain of salt is in our society. The women in Star Trek, they're strong, they're in roles of leadership, they take charge, they're all those great positive qualities, but they're also the nurturers, they're the doctor, they're the counselor, they're the bartender that you listen to and kind of mothers you through difficult situations. They aren't necessarily the strong go-get-'em adventurers, they're usually pretty cautious and nervous and maybe question themselves a lot, and I feel like that's a grain of salt that I expect, and I think that is because of Star Trek: Next Generation and the other media I watched growing up. And so I think Star Trek can be good because it has these women in strong roles, but it also teaches women that they still need to fit into the sexy-caregiver role. Because don't get me wrong, the Star Trek female characters, they're sexy, and their outfits are sexier than the men's outfits, come on. Let's not kid ourselves.</p>
<p class="p5">SARAH MIRK: Do you consider yourself a Star Trek nerd? Or do you try to sort of play it cool when you're talking about Star Trek?</p>
<p class="p5">LEWIS: I have no qualms. I am not playing it cool at all, I am a Trekkie – actually technically the term would be Trekker, because I joined at Next Generation level, rather the Original Series.</p>
<p class="p5">SARAH MIRK: It's a very important distinction.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p5">LEWIS: Incredibly important. So absolutely, total nerd about it.</p>
<p><strong><br /></strong></p>
</blockquote>
http://bitchmagazine.org/post/popaganda-episode-nerds#commentsComedygeek culturegeek girl connerd stereotypesStar TrekFeminist PodcastThu, 30 May 2013 18:33:36 +0000Sarah Mirk22870 at http://bitchmagazine.orgOn Our Radarhttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/on-our-radar-49
<div>At the end of a long week, kick back with a couple of links, fresh off the Internet.</div>
<ul>
<li>Jos Truitt over at Feministing, looking at the recent events in Topeka, Kansas, reminds us how <a href="http://feministing.com/2011/10/17/what-happens-when-the-police-dont-keep-you-safe/">the police really don't care about sexual violence</a>.</li>
<li>Think Progress shakes it's head at a Fox News doctor <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2011/10/19/347913/fox-news-doctor-same-sex-parents-of-transgender-youth-need-psychological-evaluations/">suggesting that a transgender youth needs psychological evaluation</a>.</li>
<li>Racialicious asks <a href="http://www.racialicious.com/2011/10/18/fandom-and-its-hatred-of-black-women-characters/">"why do so many TV fans hate black woman characters?"</a></li>
<li>Colorlines talks with <a href="http://colorlines.com/archives/2011/10/young_african-american_director_of_pariah_talks_about_coming_out.html">Sundance fave director Dee Dee about her experiences of coming out</a>.</li>
<li>Jarrah at Gender Focus <a href="http://www.gender-focus.com/2011/10/18/geek-girl-con-media-literacy-criticism-and-production/#.Tp42oofa7ys.twitter">recaps the Geek Girl Con panel featuring the Harlem Globetrotters Dream Team of Anita Sarkeesian, Leah Wilson, Kristy Guevara Flanagan, and our own Kjerstin Johnson and Kelsey Wallace</a></li>
<li>Tiger Beatdown goes ahead and <a href="http://tigerbeatdown.com/2011/10/17/come-one-come-all-bloggers-bear-it-all-out-feminist-and-social-justice-blogging-as-performance-and-bloodshed/">calls out the call-out culture</a>.</li>
<li>Transgriot gives TMZ <a href="http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2011/10/tmzcom-read-your-fracking-ap-stylebook.html">a lesson&nbsp;on style (and it has nothing to do with clothes)</a>.</li>
</ul>
<p>Let us know what you think in the comments.</p>
http://bitchmagazine.org/post/on-our-radar-49#commentsgeek girl conKansasmoviesTMZtrans identitytrans youthBitch HQFri, 21 Oct 2011 18:24:36 +0000Mac Pogue13277 at http://bitchmagazine.orgBitch Radio: Media Literacy, Criticism, and Production Panel from GeekGirlConhttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/bitch-radio-media-literacy-geek-girl-con
<p>Kelsey and I traveled up to Seattle last weekend for two days of geekery at the first-ever <a href="http://www.geekgirlcon.com/">Geek Girl Con</a>! We went to panels on women in video games, race and gender in geekdom, women in horror fans, and way more. We were also honored to be on the panel "Media Literacy, Criticism and Production" along with some other really rad women. For this episode of Bitch Radio, here's a good chunk of our panel for you to listen to. Along with me and Kelsey, you'll hear from Kristy Guevara-Flanagan, <a href="http://vaquerafilms.com/wonderwoman/team/">director of the forthcoming <em>The History of the World as Told by Wonder Woman</em></a> (we saw clips, it's gonna be amazing!), Anita Sarkeesian, the woman behind <a href="http://www.feministfrequency.com/">Feminist Frequency</a> (you may know her from <a href="/profile/femfreq">Mad World and Tropes vs. Women</a>), Leah Wilson, editor of <a href="http://www.smartpopbooks.com/">Smart Pop Books</a>, and moderated by Maile Martinez, programming director at Seattle's venerable <a href="http://www.reelgrrls.org/">Reel Grrls</a>! Thanks to everyone who came out to hear us, you were a wonderful audience! Oh, and here's the link to that <a href="http://tigerbeatdown.com/2011/08/10/what-do-you-mean-when-you-say-you-want-strong-female-characters/">Strong Female Characters post by s.e. smith</a> I mentioned, and <a href="http://www.overthinkingit.com/2008/08/18/why-strong-female-characters-are-bad-for-women/">the OverthinkingIt.com post Anita mentioned</a>!</p>
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http://bitchmagazine.org/post/bitch-radio-media-literacy-geek-girl-con#commentsconferencesgeek girl conmedia literacyFeminist PodcastFri, 14 Oct 2011 21:13:22 +0000Kjerstin Johnson13177 at http://bitchmagazine.org